Emory
Emory was the 339th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 899 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 333rd with 940 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 287 places. More babies were named Emory in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Emery) Origin uncertain · Germanic, French
- Rank in 2025
- #339 girls, up 107 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 899girls
- Girls and boys
- 74% girls, 26% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2024940 babies
- Total since 1880
- 29,762babies recorded
What does the name Emory mean?
Emory is a spelling of Emery, pronounced the same way, so it shares Emery's meaning and origin.
Emery is a medieval name that came to England with the Normans and survived mainly as a surname. DMNES explains that it has several Germanic sources that cannot be told apart from an early date: names starting with amal, 'vigor, bravery', with heim, 'home', or with ermen, 'great, strong', all followed by ric, 'ruler'. Wiktionary gives the same options, comparing Amory and Henry. As a modern girl's name it is also linked with the mineral emery. DMNES finds Emery in an English record of 1429.
rīhhi (Old High German, “ruler”)*amal (Proto-Germanic, “vigor, bravery”)heim (Old High German, “home”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The second element 'ruler' is clear; the first element varies by source name and cannot be determined.
Related names: Emory, Amory, Emmery, Imre, Emeric.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Emery', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Emery', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Emory popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #339 | #883 | 899 | 269 |
| 2020 | #446 | #820 | 693 | 281 |
| 2010 | #1,079 | #1,049 | 231 | 184 |
| 2000 | #2,789 | #1,324 | 52 | 97 |
| 1990 | #6,231 | #1,439 | 14 | 61 |
| 1980 | #8,402 | #1,027 | 7 | 78 |
| 1970 | — | #888 | — | 83 |
| 1960 | — | #689 | — | 130 |
| 1950 | #5,537 | #530 | 5 | 163 |
| 1940 | #4,544 | #429 | 5 | 186 |
| 1930 | #3,775 | #412 | 7 | 202 |
| 1920 | — | #335 | — | 308 |
| 1910 | — | #334 | — | 55 |
| 1900 | — | #287 | — | 52 |
| 1890 | — | #323 | — | 29 |
| 1880 | — | #267 | — | 40 |
How popular is Emory, counting every spelling?
Emory is a spelling of Emery, a name family that ranked #50 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #339 for Emory on its own. Together these spellings went to 4,898 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emery | 3,208 | #74 | 15,424 |
| Emory | 899 | #339 | 4,013 |
| Emerie | 548 | #553 | 2,667 |
| Emeri | 147 | #1,461 | 792 |
| Emmery | 51 | #3,141 | 258 |
| Emmerie | 23 | #5,456 | 114 |
| Emeree | 15 | #7,237 | 79 |
| Emmeri | — | — | 28 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Emory?
899 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Emory (0.25 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Emory born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 9 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Emory.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Emory?
About 10,600 people born in the US named Emory are alive today, with a median age of 7; half are between 3 and 13. That makes Emory a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Emory by state
How common Emory was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Alabama (3.7×), Mississippi (3.7×), West Virginia (3.5×), Tennessee (3.1×), South Carolina (3.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Oregon, Iowa, Nevada.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Emory: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Emory, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Emory
What does Emory mean?
The origin of Emery is uncertain: the second element 'ruler' is clear; the first element varies by source name and cannot be determined.
How popular is the name Emory?
Emory was the 339th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 899 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 333rd with 940 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 287 places. More babies were named Emory in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Emory a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 74% girls, 26% boys given the name Emory in the US.
Where is Emory most popular?
In 2021–2025, Emory was most common in Alabama (1.84 per 1,000 girls), followed by Mississippi and West Virginia.